1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to glass cleaning devices and, more particularly, to vacuum cleaner attachments adapted to clean glass.
2. Description of Related Art
Several devices are known in the art for cleaning glass and window surfaces. These devices have, in the past, tended to be rather simple manual tools for applying cleaning solution, scrubbing the surface being cleaned, and wiping dirt and dirty cleaning solution from the newly cleaned surface.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,283 discloses a hand held glass cleaning apparatus having a hollow body which contains cleaning fluid and on which a squeegee and a sponge cleaning fluid applicator are mounted. Cleaning fluid is gravity-fed to the sponge in a controlled manner by means of a plug which variably closes an aperture between the sponge and the hollow body.
U.S. Design Patent No. 318,518 discloses a cleaning tool having a handle which receives a spray pump, and on which is mounted a squeegee and a sponge. See also, U.S. Design Patent No. 173,454.
Other window or glass surface cleaning devices have been more complex, and have applied suction to the surface being cleaned to extract or remove dirt and dirty cleaning solution therefrom.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,387 discloses a cleaning head for a vacuum cleaner having a sponge, a pair of brushes, a pair of squeegees, and a tube for supplying cleaning fluid to the sponge. The cleaning fluid is supplied from a reservoir separate from the cleaning head and the sponge is in contact with the surface to be cleaned at the same time as the squeegee.
Other references show window or wall cleaning devices which supply wash water or fluid from a remote source and use a squeegee in combination with suction to remove the dirty cleaning fluid from the surface being cleaned. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,691,164; 1,982,345; 3,345,672; 3,464,081; 3,591,889; and 4,170,805.
The devices which use a source for cleaning solution remote from the cleaning device are generally dedicated to window, glass, or wall cleaning, and are therefore not usable as an attachment to a conventional wet/dry vacuum cleaner. Moreover, these devices are typically expensive to manufacture and require separate pump means to supply the cleaning solution to the remote area being cleaned.
There exists a need in the art for an improved glass or window cleaning attachment for a vacuum cleaner which is easy to use, which allows the user to easily apply cleaning solution to the surface to be cleaned, and which is quickly and simply attachable to a vacuum cleaner suction hose.